Shell for torpedoes or similar purposes.



T. F. ROWLAND. SHELL FORTORPEDOES 0R SIMILAR PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 21, 1903.

WITNESSES: N n

PATENTBD JAN. 30, 1906.

' citizen of the United States,,and a resident of strengthening the same.

UNITED P STATES --PATENT OFFICE.

' THOMAS r. ROWLAND, or NEW YORK, Y.

SHELL Fon TORPEDOES on" .SIMlLAR 'PunPosss.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 30, 1906.

Application filed October 21, 1908, Shrial No. 177,922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS F. ROW'LAND,'&

NewYork city, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shells for Torpedoes or Simi lar Purposes, of which the following is a speci-.

fication,'-taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which forms part of the same.

This invention relates to shells for torpedoes or other purposes, and relates especially-to the construction of a shell in which the body of the shellis suitably stiffened or strength cried by circumferential corrugations, so as to resist external pressure. I

The accompanying drawing shows an. embodiment of this invention in axial section..

In the embodiment of this invention shown in the drawing the body 2 of the shell is indicated as havinga cylindrical form and as being formed of material such as sheet-steel, and which may be suitably welded,-ifdesired, so as to present a uniform cylindrical surface, this body being formed with annular or circnm-' ferential corrugations for the purpose of As indicated, the corrugations in the body have substantially similar ridges and'depressio'ns, the ridges? in the form indicated being substantially semicircular and the depressions 8 having a similar form. This is not, however, necessary in all cases, and it is apparent that any other formof corrugation may be used in the body which will stiffen the same and strengthen it against external pressure.

' Suitable heads are secured-to the body of the shell, and these heads may be given the hemispherical foi-m indicated, the head 1 be- -'ing, formed of suitable material, such as sheetsteeL- and being joined tothe body in any desired way, such as by welding; The head is indicated as being formed with a flange9,

' which is welded to a similar annular flange 1 0 onthe upper end of the body to form a unitingflange at this point, the line of the weld being indicated asG. The lower head? mayalso be given a hemispherical form and is preferably constructed with the flanged opening iifor the purpose of giving access to the interior of the shell. may be welded on thelower end The annular flange 12 on thishead to the cooperating flange 11 Of the so H'mt'n nnih."

' ing-flangeis formed at-this point. the line of weld beingindicated as 5 5 A suitable explosive charge 13 is diagrammatic'ally indicated within the shell.

When these shells are used for submarine torpedoes, they are anchored in harbors in a considerable depth of water and sometimes are 6 used in close proximity, so that the explosion of one of the torpedoes causes agreat'external pressure upon the adjacent ones. The torpedo-shells must be so constructed as not to collapse under this pressure, so as'to pre- 4 serve the explosive within them. By forming the bodies of the shells of. the corrugated form indicated "these bodies are sufliciently stiffened to have substantially the same strength as the hemispherical heads, and at the 1 same time an excessive thickness of metal is -'not necessary in the bodies of the torpedoshells. Although corrugating 'a cylindrical shell does notgreatly' strengthen'it in resisting internal pressure, yet its stiffness and strength in resisting external fluid-p is increased greatly out of all proportion to the small additional amount of metal due toih corrugated contour.

Havlng W isclosed this invention by scribing an illustrative embodiment thereof,

to the detailsfof which I'do not, however, de-

sire to be limited, what'l claim as new, and

what I desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

set forth in the appended-claims.

1. Asubmarinetorpedohavinganexplosivo charge and a containing-shell comprising I} cylindrical body formed with annular flangm at either end and hemispherical heads formed with annular flanges welded to the-flanges on said body and sai shell having corrugations extending around the same, said corrugations.

comprising semicircularridges and depressions whereby said shell is strengthened to'resist external collapsing pressure.

1 2. Asnbmarinetorpedohavinganexplosive' charge and a containing-shell comprising a body and outwardly-curved heads secured to said body, said body having corrugations extending around the same whereby said shell is-strengthened to resist collapsing pressure from adjacent explosions.

THOMASF. ROWLAND.

Witnesses: l Lrm E. Roman,

- Tau-mu mrn'n-rr 

